1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate support device capable of supporting a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer with a temperature distribution of the substrate being uniformed and a plasma processing apparatus provided with the substrate support device in a process chamber the inside atmosphere of which can be evacuated into a vacuum.
2. Related Background Art
Until now there has been proposed various techniques for supporting a substrate in the process of etching, CVD and sputtering.
For example, there has been proposed a substrate support device whose placing table on which a substrate is placed has an electrostatic adhesion mechanism for adhesively holding the substrate by an electrostatic force (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-299288). The substrate support device is provided with a base table having a cooling means on the other side of the placing table of the substrate to enable the placing table to be cooled to a predetermined temperature.
The surface of the placing table is formed in an uneven shape to produce a gap between the placing table and the substrate placed thereon. An inert gas is circulated between the gap to uniform the temperature of the substrate, preventing film-forming and etching conditions from being uneven on the whole substrate. Similarly, in order to uniform the temperature on the whole substrate, there is interposed a carbon sheet high in thermal conductivity between the base table and the placing table.    [Patent Reference 1] Japanese Laid-Open Gazette No. 2000-299288A
The substrate support device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-299288 interposes the carbon sheet high in thermal conductivity between the base table and the placing table to uniform the temperature distribution on the substrate, however there is a problem in that a carbon sheet is prone to produce powder dust.
In other words, there needs to be provided a flow path for the inert gas passing though the carbon sheet interposed between the base table and the placing table in order to supply the inert gas to the surface of the placing table. In this case, the inert gas may convey carbon powder to the other side of the substrate. If such a phenomenon occurs, the other side of the substrate cannot be maintained to a predetermined pressure even if the inert gas is circulated, which prevents temperature from being uniformed.
In addition, an adverse influence may be exerted such as the production of particles due to contamination in the chamber and the lowering of ultimate vacuum.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and the object of the present invention is to provide a substrate support device capable of preventing powder dust from being produced to uniform temperature on a substrate and a plasma processing apparatus provided with the substrate support device.